Jacket Knight: Old Wrongs Done Right

Chapter 4: Preparation

 The next day, after school, I chose to request some services from another associate, a kid named Joshua Krone. Despite his reputation as a full-time nerd, I knew that for the right price, he could turn your mediocre Nerf gun into an actual lethal weapon through unauthorized modding. I brought my Nerf Rival Perses blaster along to his house, where he set up shop.

I knocked on his garage door, making sure to follow a distinctive pattern that only knowledgeable characters recognized.

He raised his door high enough so that I could crawl underneath, and as soon as I made it through, he let the door slam on the asphalt.

"So, what can I do for you, friend?" he asked, genuinely happy to see me.

"I'm not here for a Spelunky run, that's for sure." I put my blaster down on the table. "Need some mods so that this baby is completely silent."

Josh rubbed his glasses with an oil rag and put them back on. "I know that's not all."

I sighed. "You got any sort of harmful ammo for Rivals?"

He shook his head. "For a hopper gun, that's hard. But I do have a couple batches of 3d-printed hard synthetic plastic rounds, but I don't have alloy rounds. If you had brought a Rapidstrike or something, I would have some 3d-printed alloy darts available."

I nodded. "I'd also like some sort of expanded hopper mags if you have any."

He plucked one out of one of the drawers underneath his work table. "Here ya go. So, you want the tactical silence package?" I raised an eyebrow.

"What's that?"

"A new label I thought up. Instead of customers choosing individual mods, I've decided to put these mods in little groups that people can choose instead!" I nodded in appreciation.

"Good. So what is the 'tactical silence' package?"

"Easy. Silent rev, muffler, and that is it."

"Alright then. How many rounds am I getting?"

"About...625 rounds. Meaning that you'll have about 6 full extended magazines. Don't waste these." He started to fish around in the 3d printers in the back. After a couple minutes, he placed 6 metal trays in front of me, each of them shimmering in the harsh light of the workshop.

I stuffed them inside my bag and handed my blaster to Joshua.

He took it, admiring the fact that despite the many Nerf wars it had been through, it's silver spray paint was still in near-flawless condition.

I gave him a raised eyebrow, and he quickly got to work.

.......

I biked home, and while I waited for Joshua to finish his new little project, I played some COD on my Xbox.

He finished in about a few hours, and he called me back over.

When I arrived, he handed it back to me. I inspected it, and it didn't seem to have been changed much, other than the fact that there were new nails installed.

"Thanks for the upgrade." I said, and I pulled my backpack on.

He smiled, "You're welcome, man. Been a while since the last war. I need the business." I nodded, and I biked back home.

.......

My dad was watching some CBS when I arrived.

"I'm home." I said as I put my backpack by the door.

"Good. You want to watch some Young Sheldon with me?" I sat next to him, enjoying the subtle humor of how a ten-year-old survived middle school.

Before I knew it, it was 10:00.

"Well, time to crash." Dad yawned, and he ushered me to my bedroom. He closed the door, and I sat on my bed, waiting for the familiar snoring that signified that Dad was asleep.

I crept out of my bedroom, all the way to the front door, Glock holstered in my pocket.

I hung my backpack over my shoulder, and I set a route to the Pacific Rapture Shipyards.

"I am the Evening Swan." I muttered to myself as I biked toward my destiny.

If anyone gets that last line, you are a part of the clan.